The Moonlight's Cradle
by Ayeliyn
Summary: What were they like, before they arrived in Zephyr Town? What were their stories? Sister fic to 'Moonlight Magic', containing the backstories of every character in the story.


"And now, presenting the one you've all been waiting for.. The one.. the _only! _Aria the Super Child!"

The roars were deafening, and the 8-year-old brunette stepped onto the stage. Spotlights shined on her and she covered her eyes to let herself adjust. The familiar music blared out, and that was her cue. Her lithe body tumbled over itself twice, and she spun in a circle like a ballerina before flipping back at an enormous height to land on the elephant's ball and run around in a circle, jumping off to climb up the tightrope pole.

She was called the Super Child because, since birth, she'd been trained to do as many stunts as she could. To entertain and be the best performer that they had. Aria knew her place, and it was here at the circus. And she had to entertain the people who called her a freak, who didn't know how much work she had to do to get this way.

She'd walk the tightrope and almost fall, but steady herself with tears streaming down her cheeks. She was afraid of heights, but the ringmaster didn't care. All he cared about was the money. And the Super Child was the only way he'd get big bucks for the circus. He'd force her to do things she didn't want to, and she had no choice but to oblige and do them. Or else her family would end up homeless, and it would be _her_ fault entirely.

Aria didn't want that. She'd perform for their sake, and their sake alone. To get them out as quickly as possible, and let them live their lives without a freak for a daughter. Without her..

It was only by chance she'd met a little boy, who was no older than she. He seemed lost and confused, and Aria knew he'd call her a freak if she approached him. She'd wondered how he'd gotten there and, when he looked at her, she backed up a bit. The little boy got up and approached her, blood-red eyes filled with tears.

"I.. I can't find my parents.." He said, trying his hardest not to cry. "I-I can't find them.. P-please, you have to help me!"

"S-sure!" Aria gave the biggest smile. "Now climb onto my back and we'll go looking! Your knee's hurt so you shouldn't be standing. Mommy always says 'don't stand when your legs are injured'!"

The boy nodded, climbing onto Aria's back as she lifted him up and started walking around. They asked around about his parents, but no one had seen anyone that looked like who the boy had described. When they returned to the circus, the boy got off of Aria's back and cried.

"N-now I'll.. n-never find them! Th-they left town without me!" He was upset, and rightfully so. No parents should abandon their children. That was when the boy almost left, had Aria not talked him into stowing away at the circus to find his wayward parents. No one would know, as no one but Aria was allowed in her own room. She'd hide him there and always eat in her room, giving him half of her food so he wouldn't go hungry.

Until they were found out. The Ringmaster had come to scold her and force her to eat with her circus family when he saw her feeding the stowaway with half of her food. It was then that Aria learned about the Ringmaster's rage, and why people had warned her not to make him mad. What happened next had scared her. He'd nearly killed the little boy had her parents not arrived and got the Ringmaster out before taking Aria and the boy and leaving as soon as they could with the money from their pay for that week. The four of them ended up endlessly wandering.

"What's your name? Since.. since we never introduced ourselves before."

"I-It's Lloyd.. Lloyd Alabaster.." The boy said, fidgeting with his fingers as Aria's mother carried him on her back.

"That's a pretty name! I'm Arianna Kinsinger, but everyone calls me Aria or Freak... I don't like the last one."

"..Aria.. That suits you." Lloyd said, which made Aria blush a little and bury her face into her father's shoulder. They travelled for quite some time, masquerading as a group of travelling gypsies up until they found Lloyd's parents, who greeted their son with open arms and thanked Aria and her parents for looking after them.

At nine years old, Aria saw the world and always wanted to travel.. Alas, her parents came to a rest at a city and didn't want to leave, getting jobs and having Aria go to school. Her hair was hidden under a blonde wig so no one would put two and two together and recognize her as Aria the Super Child. She refrained from playing with other kids due to this, until one of them got the ball stuck on the school roof.

Aria, swallowing her fear yet again, climbed up and got the ball, tossing it down and climbing back down, almost slipping and falling. The boys, who were playing soccer, were amazed by this and asked her where she had learned it.. and she clammed up and shook her head, running off and going back to being alone.

She was reprimanded by the teachers for climbing school property, as if she'd been wanting to escape, and refused to do anything that would get her in trouble again. She was bullied and picked on, shoved into lockers and forced to do the bully's homework. She never spoke up against it, as they had all told her it was her fault for even _existing_ that this was happening. Despite her beauty and her talents, people would always pick other over her, causing her self-confidence to fall.

She met Jamie on a cold night, when she was walking home from the football game in a sopping wet t-shirt and jeans. He'd offered her a place to dry her clothes and call her parents before the two 'fell in love' and began the relationship that caused Aria's parents to send her away. Whenever Aria went out with Jamie, she'd come home crying but never tell her parents what he did, as he filled her with toxic words and would never do anything for himself, making her do it for him. And he'd always threaten her to get her to do what he wanted.

It was when Aria came home with a bloody lip that her parents finally had enough and bought her a farm in Zephyr Town, outfitting her with a cute outfit and bandaging her cut while removing her blonde wig and letting her natural hair fall free. Cutting it to a style Aria liked, her parents sent her away, and hoped that Jamie wouldn't find her.

"Ah! We're finally here!" The tall, muscular man seemed extremely pleased that they'd made it to the.. strange place with all the stalls. Was it a sort of store? "This is your new home, Zephyr Town!"

It was all for her own good. She glanced around before the muscular man shocked her out of it by asking her a question.

"Sorry, what was your name again?"

"..Arianna Kinsinger, sir.. but please, call me Aria."

This was her new life, and it was starting _now._


End file.
